Is it normal to feel pain when there's no food inside?
#367948 - 07/28/12 02:49 PM
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Yumeji
Reged: 05/16/12
Posts: 6
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I've read that some people with IBS find relief in fasting for a day or so (usually before they need to go out) to alleviate their symptoms. This did work for me in the past; however, today I'm feeling pain in the lower left quadrant and left flank despite my colon is completely empty. I've only been drinking fluids the past couple days (I find I tolerate liquids better than solids). In addition, when I woke up the pain was still there in the exact same spots (I've read people with IBS tend to temporarily have no symptoms after sleeping/napping). Relaxing, listening to music, focusing on something else provide little relief. The same with drinking peppermint or fennel tea.
I keep wondering if what I have really is IBS because even when I try Heather's recommended diet, I find many of the safe foods give me trouble (i.e., dairy and starches of any kind send me into constipation, gluten changes my stool to yellow for a week, some foods are completely undigested like carrots and sweet potatoes without skin, I can't eat -any- amount of insoluble fiber). I've tried the low FODMAP diet with little success. I was diagnosed with IBS by a gastroenterologist based on my symptoms, although I do have a family history of IBD (which I informed him of).
Does this sound like IBS?
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You symptoms don't sound atypical for someone with IBS.
It isn't unusual for some with IBS to have symptoms such as pain when their colon is empty. Fasting isn't a clinically used method for managing IBS symptoms and it is not guaranteed to alleviate IBS symptoms.
Dairy is a known IBS trigger. Undigested food in the stool is also common in IBS due to problems with GI tract motility.
Yellow stool is not unusual and it could indicative of a higher than normal GI motility frequently occuring in individuals with IBS. If you care concerned it is something you should talk to your doctor about.
If you think your GI doc gave you an improper diagnosis why don't you get a second opinion from another GI doctor?
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STABLE: ♂, IBS-D 50+ years - Science of IBS
The FODMAP Approach to Managing IBS Symptoms
Evidence-based Dietary Management of Functional GI Symptoms: The FODMAP Approach
FODMAP Chart & Cheatsheet
The Role of Food & Dietary Intervention in IBS
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I eat 6-8meals/snacks a day normally, but when on the type of holiday I usually go on happens, it's usually a bigger breakfast and a big dinner with maybe a tiny little snack in-between. By the time of dinner my stomach is churning and I'm really starving and I always have a lot more bloating then and frequently pain and spasms. I never had this problem before IBS although often had the same kind of holidays back then too. I don't think you can fast your way out of IBS just as you can't paleo-diet your way out of it Mark-Sisson-esque style.
Follow the four EFI rules (no alcohol, no caffeine, less IF than SF per meals, limited fat per meals) and the FODMAP guidelines simultaneously, did you give it enough time? Safest foods to eat would be: porridge (cooked in water), boiled/baked potatoes, cooled rice, grilled chicken breast, shrimp, white fish, boiled carrots, peeled baked peppers, peeled cooked courgette (ie zucchini), tomato paste, orange juice, no-pulp-berry juice and a bit of fat with each meal (salmon/olive oil to mention two of the healthiest options) (kcal coming from fat max 25% per meals: 1g fat has 9kcal, 1g carb has 4kcal, 1g protein also has 4 kcal). Incredibly restricted I know but I think you are v unlikely to have trouble from these foods and once your gut has calmed down after a week or so, you may experiment with adding different foods back into your diet one by one to see whether you can tolerate them.
Heather doesn't recommend that you eat dairy btw and I am severely lactose intolerant, with which lactase tablets help, but I still have spasms from the casein and whey in milk products so I don't eat any dairy, you should perhaps cut it out too.
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now: stable through EFI+FODMAP dieting (no lactose/no fructose/some fructans and some polyols)
before: IBS-D(pseudo-diarrhoea), bloating, often unbearable pain esp from too much fat: Apr 2007- Dec 2010
FODMAPs: http://www.todaysdietitian.com/newarchives/072710p30.shtml
[I've tried VSL#3 -> I could tolerate v good amounts of IF (even with less SF), it worked great (but overall I find it too expensive)]
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